Counter mechanism

ABSTRACT

A counter mechanism which includes a set of side-by-side display counting wheels with cooperating actuating means arranged so they do not assume the position necessary for actuating the counter until the counting wheels have been completely reset.

United States Patent [541 coumiiit nirsc'iiiiisrsm 10 Claims, 11 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl. 235/144 R, 235/144 HC [51] Int. CL G06c 15/42 [50] Field of Search 235/144, 144 RC [56] Reierences Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,769,596 11/1956 Loosli 235/144 l-lC 2,980,329 4/1961 l-loffmann 235/144 HC 3,050,250 8/1962 Mann 235/144 HC 3,321,134 5/1967 Sigl 235/1441-1C Primary Examiner-Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant Examiner.lohn F. Gonzales Attorney-Michael S. Striker ABSTRACT: A counter mechanism which includes a set of side-by-side display counting wheels with cooperating actuating means arranged so they do not assume the position neces sary for actuating the counter until the counting wheels have been completely reset.

COUNTER MECHANISM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to counter mechanisms and more especially to a counter mechanism of the kind comprising a set of counting wheels arranged side-by-side on'a spindle in individually rotatable manner, each counting wheel having a ring gear and being coordinated with a coaxial gear carrying a heart-shaped cam, and with a setting gear in axially parallel manner, with a set of decade stepping wheels arranged on a common spindle which is parallel to the first-mentioned spindle and movable toward and away from the latter against spring loading, each stepping gear being arranged for stepping engagement with two adjacent counting wheels, and with a set of resetting elements cooperating individually with the heartshaped cams, which are actuated by a common pivot spindle.

In known counter mechanisms incorporating a resetting device for the counting wheels the resetting of the counting wheels is frequently performed manually, e.g. by actuation of a lever, and may be carried out negligently or in deliberately incomplete manner.

SUMMARY The present invention seeks to overcome this drawback by incorporating an electric switching element and cooperating actuation means in the counter mechanism, which are controllable by means of the pivot spindle and are so constructed that they do not assume the position required for actuation of the switching element until after complete resetting of the counting wheels has been carried out.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partial plan view of a counter mechanism according to the invention with parts in axial section along the line H in FIG. 2,

FIG. 2 is a cross section through the counter mechanism along the line II-II in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a cross section along the line III-Ill in FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a partially sectioned partial side view of FIG. 1, showing one of the heart-shaped cams and the elements cooperating therewith,

FIG. 5 is a partial top view of certain elements illustrated in FIG. I, and

FIGS. 6-1l are partial cross sections similar to FIG. 2 and showing the elements illustrated in FIG. 2, in successive position's, these elements will assume during resetting of the counter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The counter mechanism is arranged on a housing base 1 and enclosed by a housing 2 screwed to the base, which housing has a window 3 through which the position of the counting wheels 4 may be read. Only three of the counting wheels are shown in FIG. 1. The counting wheels 4 of the counter mechanism are rotatable on a spindle 5 secured in the two sidewalls of the housing base 1, the digit wheel, which is not shown, being driven in known manner and the other counting wheels each being step switched through a secondary switching gear 6 by the counting roll adjacent thereto to the right hand side, as shown in FIG. I.

For resetting the counting wheels of the counter mechanism, a pivot spindle 7 parallel to the spindle 5 and arranged in the sidewalls of the housing base 1, has an actuating lever 8 fastened on it outside the housing and a gearwheel 9 inside the housing, the gearwheel 9 meshing with a gearwheel l rotatable on the spindle and on whose hub 11 a cam 12 is seated. A resetting element 56, best shown in FIG. 4 is arranged on the pivot spindle 7 for each counting wheel, which acts in a known manner on a heart-shaped cam 13 coordinated with the counting wheel, when the actuating lever 8 is being operated in order to reset the counting wheel.

The counter mechanism is equipped with a setting gear 14 for each counting wheel 4, which gears are individually rotatable on a spindle 15 parallel to the counting wheel spindle 5 and each engage in a ring gear 16 associated with the cor- 5 responding counting wheel 4. By means of these gears 14, the

counting wheels in question may, when the heart-shaped cams 13 are blocked by means of the resetting elements 56, be set to a required number to which the counting wheels are to be reset in each instance after operation of the counter mechanism, by actuation of the actuating lever 8.

By depressing the actuating lever 8 in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 2, the cam 12 is caused to turn in the direction of the arrow B on the spindle 5, through the gears 9 and 10, and to tension a torsion spring 17 which is connected at one end on a cross pin 18 of the cam 12 and at the other end on a pin 19 protruding from the sidewall of the housing. The nose 20 of the cam 12 engages a lever 21 which is rotatable on a bearing bolt 22 secured in the sidewall of the housing, and a torsion spring 23, having a pair of free end portions respectively engaging studs projecting laterally from the lever 21 and a pawl 27 tends to keep the lever in the middle position shown in FIG. 2. The turning nose 20 displaces the lever 21, as shown in FIG. 6, tensioning the torsion spring 23 until the nose 20 turns past the displaced lever 21 and releases the lever, as shown in FIG. 7, so that the torsion spring 23 again turns the lever back to the middle position.

At the instant of release of the lever 21, the counting wheels 4 have reached the terminal position of their resetting, and the actuating lever 8 has reached its terminal position in which it bears through an arm 24 secured on the gear 9, against an adjustable abutment pin 25 on the housing base 1 (FIG. 3). When the actuating lever 8 is released, the tensioned torsion spring 17 acting through the gears 10 and 9 and the pivot spindle 7 returns the actuating lever 8 to its initial position. The cam 12 is turned at the same time in the opposite direction to that of the arrow B and its nose 20 impinges on the lever 21, as shown in FIG. 9, and then turns the lever out of the middle position in the opposite direction, as shown in FIG. 10, so that the torsion spring 23 is tensioned again and a lug 26 angularly projecting from the lever 21 encounters the pawl 27 rotatable on the bearing bolt 22, a short distance before the end of the turning movement, shown in FIG. 11. A tension spring 29 acts on branch 28 of pawl 27 tending to keep the pawl in contact with a feeler lever 30 which is rotatable on a bearing bolt 31 secured in the sidewall of the housing and acts as an abutment for the spring-loaded switching stud 32 of an electric reversing switch 33 shown in FIGS. 3 and 11.

The pivoting of the pawl branch 28 caused by the lug 26 robs the feeler lever 30 of the support on the shoulder 34 of the branch 28, so that the switching stud 32 perfomis the switchover motion owing to the spring pressure acting on it, and brings the feeler lever 30 to bear on a second shoulder 35 of the branch 28, as shown in FIG. 11. Shortly before the cam 12 reaches the initial position according to FIGS. 2 and 6, its nose 20 releases the lever 21 which is then turned back again into the middle position by the tensioned torsion spring 23.

It will be seen from the operating sequence of the resetting action, as described, that the requirement for the aforesaid actuation of the reversing switch 33 establishes a definite condition for the complete resetting of the counting wheels, i.e. for the actuating lever 8 to be returned to its terminal position as far as the abutment 25.

On a part of its periphery, the cam 12 has a projection 36 protruding transversely to the nose 20, which during rotation of the cam 12 in the direction of the arrow B impinges on the periphery of a spring catch 37 which is rotatable on the spindle 38 carrying the secondary stepping pinions 6 and is resiliently held in abutment against a pin 40 by a torsion spring 39. The spindle 38 is held in the limbs of an U-shaped yoke 41 which has the limbs joumaled on the spindle 7 and with a pin 40 projecting from one of its limbs. By impingement of the cam projection 36 against the spring catch 37 held in abutment against the pin 40, the yoke 41 is deflected against a torsion spring 42 acting on it, so far that the secondary stepping pinions 6 are taken out of engagement with the counting rolls 4.

On pivoting the actuating lever 8 back to the initial position, the cam 12 is also turned in the opposite direction to that of the arrow B and its projection 36 turns the spring catch 37 about the spindle 38 and away from the stop pin 40, the spring catch turning with its projection 43 with the flattened outline 44 at smaller distance from the spindle 38 against the projection 36 of the cam 12 and enables the yoke 41 to execute immediate inward swiveling of the secondary stepping pinions 6 by the action of the torsion spring 42 into the position of engagement on the counting wheels 4, which are thus held in their reset position, whereas the resetting elements 56 release the heart-shaped cams 13. This prevents possible misalignment of the counting wheels as a result of resetting.

The setting gears M on the spindle 15 are accessible from the outcide through an opening 45 (FIG. 2) in the housing cap 2, which may be uncovered and covered by means of a lid 47 which has two bearing eyes 46 and 46 secured to the spindle l and may be operated from the outside by means of a projecting grip 48. The spindle is arranged in axially displaceable and rotatable manner in the sidewalls of the housing, and carries tube portions 59 coaxially fixed thereto. The tube portion in the region of the left end of the spindle 115, as viewed in FIG. 1, has slanted faces 49, forming two points 50 facing one sidewall and bearing against a plate 51 secured on this wall. The points 50 enter a groove 52 present in plate 51 when the hinged lid 47 is fully open and the spindle 15 as well as the tube portion with points 50 thereon is turned thereby to the position shown in FIG. 5 which is displaced through an angle of 90 with respect to the position shown in FIG. 1. A torsion spring 60 wound about the spindle 15, and engaging a projection on the bearing eye 46', tends to keep the lid 47 in the closed position, and in the open position of the lid biases the points 50 into the groove 52 as shown in FIG. 5, whereas the points 50 are cammed out of the groove 52 during closing of the lid. The insertion and ithdrawal of the points 50 into and out of the groove 52 imparts a small axial displacement towards the left and right in FIG. 1 to the spindle is with the lid 47 and the setting gears 14, whereby the setting gears cause engagement and disengagement between the setting gears 14 and the gears 53 carrying the heart-shaped cam 13. In the disengaged condition, that is to say when the hinged lid 47 is opened, the setting gears 14 then merely engage in the ring gears 16 of the counting rolls 4 and allow of optional setting of a required numerical value within the digital capacity of the counter mechanism, whereas in the engaged position, i.e., when the lid 47 is closed, each setting gear 14 engages the respective gears 16 and 53 so that these gears will rotate together with the respective counting wheel.

The hinged lid 47 possesses a projecting longitudinal edge 54, which acts in conjunction with a branch 55 of the feeler lever 30 when the lid is opened, and displaces it so far that the switching stud 32 of the reversing switch 33 is depressed, thus operating the reversing switch and the feeler lever 30 being held against the spring loading of the switching stud 32 by the shoulder 34 of the pawl branch 28. On closing the hinged lid 47, its longitudinal edge 54 moves away from the branch 55 of the locked feeler lever 30 and the cog points 50 pass from the groove 52 on to the plate 51, thereby causing the spindle 15 with the lid 47 and the setting gears 14 to be displaced towards the right in FIG. 1, and the setting gears M again coupling each of the ring gears 16 of the counting wheels 4 with the corresponding gear 53. When the counting wheel resetting action is performed by means of the actuating lever 8, with the hinged lid 47 closed, the reversing switch 33 is restored to its initial position again, in which the feeler lever has been brought into abutment with the shoulder 35 of the pawl branch 28.

We claim:

1. A counter mechanism comprising support means; a first spindle mounted on said support means; a plurality of counting wheel rotatably arranged side-by-side on said first spindle; a ring gear coaxially fixed to each of said counting wheels; a further gear coaxially arranged on said first spindle adjacent each ring gear; a heart-shaped cam on each further gear; a second spindle mounted on said support means parallel to said first spindle; a plurality of setting gears turnable relative to each other on said second spindle and respectively meshing with said ring gear and said further gear of each counting wheel; a third spindle mounted on said support means parallel to said first spindle; a plurality of stepping wheels on said third spindle, each arranged for stepping engagement with two adjacent counting wheels; mounting means mounting said third spindle movable toward and away from said first spindle; biasing means biasing said third spindle towards said first spindle to keep said stepping wheels in engagement with said counting wheels; a pivot spindle mounted on said support means turnable between a pair of end positions; a plurality of resetting means actuated by said pivot spindle and respectively cooperating with said heart-shaped cams for resetting said counting wheels when said pivot spindle is turned from one to the other of said end positions; an electrical switching element for starting a machine associated with said counter; and actuating means actuated by said pivot spindle and arranged and constructed to actuate said switching element only after said counting wheels have been completely reset.

2. A counter mechanism as defined in claim 1, and including cooperating means on said pivot spindle and said third spindle for displacing said third spindle away from said first spindle during turning of said pivot spindle from said one to said other of said end position to thereby disengage said stepping wheels from said counting wheels.

3. A counter mechanism as defined in claim 1, wherein said switching element is movable between an extended and a retracted position and including spring means tending to keep said switching element in said extended position, and wherein said actuating means comprise a feeler lever engaging said switching element, a latch movable between a latching position engaging said feeler lever and holding the latter in a position in which it maintains said switching element against the force of said spring means in said retracted position and a releasing position, a cam operatively connected to said pivot spindle for turning therewith, and means cooperating with said cam and said latch for moving the latter from said latching to said releasing position during turning of said pivot spindle from said other to said one end position.

4. A counter mechanism as defined in claim 3, wherein said last-mentioned means comprises a tiltable lever and a spring tending to maintain said lever in a rest position said cam having a nose engaging said lever during turning of said pivot spindle from said one to said other end position to tilt said lever in one direction from said rest position, said nose passing said lever as said pivot spindle reaches said other end position so that said lever returns to said rest position under the influence of said spring, said nose engaging said lever during turning of said pivot spindle from said other to said one end position to turn said lever in the opposite direction from said rest position, said lever having a lug engaging said latch during turning of said lever in said opposite direction to thereby tilt said latch from said latching to said releasing position thereby releasing said feeler lever so that said switch element will move to said extended position.

5. A counter mechanism as defined in claim 4 and including means on said third spindle cooperating with said cam for moving said third spindle away from said first spindle during movement of said pivot spindle from said one to said other end position while permitting said third spindle to move back towards said first spindle during movement of said pivot spindle from its other to its one end position.

6. A counter mechanism as defined in claim 5, wherein said third spindle is mounted on a bracket tiltable about the axis of said pivot spindle, said biasing means cooperating with said bracket. 1

7. A counter mechanism as defined in claim 6, wherein said means on said third spindle comprise a spring catch tumably mounted thereon, said spring catch having a pair of substantially cylindrical peripheral surface portions separated at one of the ends thereof by a cutout and at the other ends thereof 5 by a flattened portion closer to the axis of said spring catch than said cylindrical peripheral surface portions, a pin fixed to said bracket and extending into said cutout, and a spring biasing said catch so that said pin is located at said one end of one of said peripheral surface portions, said cam having a projection engaging during turning of said pivot spindle from said peripheral surface portions to thereby tilt said bracket in a direction which moves said third spindle away from said fust spindle.

8. A counter mechanism as defined in claim 1, wherein said second spindle is mounted on said support means turnably about its axis and together with said setting gears axially displaceable between two positions, each setting gear engaging the ring gear and the furtherg'ear ot the respective counting wheel in one of saidpositioiis and only the ring gear in the other of said positions.

9. A counter mechanism as defined in claim 8 and including a member fixed to said second spindle for movement therewith and having at least one pointed end laterally of the axis of said second spindle, a stationary member having a bearing surface and being formed with a transverse groove in said bearing surface, a spring cooperating with said second spindle for biasing said pointed end of said member fixed to said second spindle against said bearing surface so that by turning of said second spindle in one or the other direction said pointed end will either engage said bearing surface or in said groove causing thereby axial displacement of said second spindle and said setting gears between said two positions of the latter.

10. A counter mechanism as defined in claim 9, wherein said support means comprise a housing formed with an opening providing access to said setting gears, a cover closing said opening and fixedly hinged to said second spindle so that the latter is turned about its axis during movement of said cover to an open position to cause during such movement said pointed end to move into said groove so that when said cover is opened said setting gears will only engage said ring gears and so that the latter together with said counting wheels may be turned by said setting gears relative to said further gears carrying said heart-shaped cams. 

1. A counter mechanism comprising support means; a first spindle mounted on said support means; a plurality of counting wheel rotatably arranged side-by-side on said first spindle; a ring gear coaxially fixed to each of said counting wheels; a further gear coaxially arranged on said first spindle adjacent each ring gear; a heart-shaped cam on each further gear; a second spindle mounted on said support means parallel to said first spindle; a plurality of setting gears turnable relative to each other on said second spindle and respectively meshing with said ring gear and said further gear of each counting wheel; a third spindle mounted on said support means parallel to said first spindle; a plurality of stepping wheels on said third spindle, each arranged for stepping engagement with two adjacent counting wheels; mounting means mounting said third spindle movable toward and away from said first spindle; biasing means biasing said third spindle towards said first spindle to keep said stepping wheels in engagement with said counting wheels; a pivot spindle mounted on said support means turnable between a pair of end positions; a plurality of resetting means actuated by said pivot spindle and respectively cooperating with said heart-shaped cams for resetting said counting wheels when said pivot spindle is turned from one to the other of said end positions; an electrical switching element for starting a machine associated with said counter; and actuating means actuated by said pivot spindle and arranged and constructed to actuate said switching element only after said counting wheels have been completely reset.
 2. A counter mechanism as defined in claim 1, and including cooperating means on said pivot spindle and said third spindle for displacing said third spindle away from said first spindle during turning of said pivot spindle from said one to said other of said end position to thereby disengage said stepping wheels from said counting wheels.
 3. A counter mechanism as defined in claim 1, wherein said switching element is movable between an extended and a retracted position and including spring means tending to keep said switching element in said extended position, and wherein said actuating means comprise a feeler lever engaging said switching element, a latch movable between a latching position engaging said feeler lever and holding the latter in a position in which it maintains said switching element against the force of said spring means in said retracted position and a releasing position, a cam operatively connected to said pivot spindle for turning therewith, and means cooperating with said cam and said latch for moving the latter from said latching to said releasing position during turning of said pivot spindle from said other to said one end position.
 4. A counter mechanism as defined in claim 3, wherein said last-mentioned means comprises a tiltable lever and a spring tending to maintain said lever in a rest position said cam having a nose engaging said lever during turning of said pivot spindle from said one to said other end position to tilt said lever in one direction from said rest position, said nose passing said lever as said pivot spindle reaches said other end position so that said lever returns to said rest position under the influence of said spring, said nose engaging said lever during turning of said pivot spindle from said other to said one end position to turn said lever in the opposite direction from said rest position, said lever having a lug engaging said latch during turning of said lever in said opposite direction to thereby tilt said latch from said latching to said releasing position thereby releasing said feeler lever so that said switch element will move to said extended position.
 5. A counter mechanism as defined in claim 4 and including means on said third spindle cooperating with said cam for moving said third spindle away from said first spindle during movement of said pivot spindle from said one to said other end position while permitting said third spindle to move back towards said first spindle during movement of said pivot spindle from its other to its one end position.
 6. A counter mechanism as defined in claim 5, wherein said third spindle is mounted on a bracket tiltable about the axis of said pivot spindle, said biasing means cooperating with said bracket.
 7. A counter mechanism as defined in claim 6, wherein said means on said third spindle comprise a spring catch turnably mounted thereon, said spring catch having a pair of substantially cylindrical peripheral surface portions separated at one of the ends thereof by a cutout and at the other ends thereof by a flattened portion closer to the axis of said spring catch than said cylindrical peripheral surface portions, a pin fixed to said bracket and extending into said cutout, and a spring biasing said catch so that said pin is located at said one end of one of said peripheral surface portions, said cam having a projection engaging during turning of said pivot spindle from said peripheral surface portions to thereby tilt said bracket in a direction which moves said third spindle away from said first spindle.
 8. A counter mechanism as defined in claim 1, wherein said second spindle is mounted on said support means turnably about its axis and together with said setting gears axially displaceable between two positions, each setting gear engaging the ring gear and the further gear of the respective counting wheel in one of said positions and only the ring gear in the other of said positions.
 9. A counter mechanism as defined in claim 8 and including a member fixed to said second spindle for movement therewith and having at least one pointed end laterally of the axis of said second spindle, a stationary member having a bearing surface and being formed with a transverse groove in said bearing surface, a spring cooperating with said second spindle for biasing said pointed end of said member fixed to said second spindle against said bearing surface so that by turning of said second spindle in one or the other direction said pointed end will either engage said bearing surface or in said groove causing thereby axial displacement of said second spindle and said setting gears between said two positions of the latter.
 10. A counter mechanism as defined in claim 9, wherein said support means comprise a housing formed with an opening providing access to said setting gears, a cover closing said opening and fixedly hinged to said second spindle so that the latter is turned about its axis during movement of said cover to an open position to cause during such movement said pointed end to move into said groove so that when said cover is opened said setting gears will only engage said ring gears and so that the latter together with said counting wheels may be turned by said setting gears relative to said further gears carrying said heart-shaped cams. 